Is Thelema a religion?
Opinions vary on this question; some say it is, and some say it isn't. In the sense that a religion is “a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons” then Thelema may qualify as one, although many Thelemites may take issue with the use of the word “beliefs”; Thelema does not require its adherents to profess faith in any supposed “truths”. In the sense that a religion is a set of beliefs concerning the creation of the universe, the worship of a supreme being, the nature of a supposed “afterlife” and the prescription of moral standards then Thelema is certainly not one. Thelemites do not believe in “gods”, or in life after death, or in any form of divine retribution. Thelema does not require any belief in the supernatural.
Many Thelemites prefer to describe Thelema as a “philosophy”, or a “spiritual philosophy”, or a “path”, or even just a “system”. It is not particularly important which label one chooses to employ.
